Mario Malta joined Advent in 2003 and is a Managing Director in São Paulo. Upon joining the firm, he was the Latin American team’s first trainee. Mario advises on investments in the business & financial services sector. He has advised on 20 investments during his career at Advent.
Prior to joining Advent, Mario worked for Citibank in its Credit Risk Analysis Unit, focusing on the telecommunications and media sectors.
Mario received a BA in Business Administration from Fundação Getúlio Vargas (EAESP– Escola de Administração de Empresas de São Paulo), where he majored in Corporate Finance and Corporate Strategy.
How has being based in Brazil formed your approach to investing?
In Latin America, deal making is less process-oriented and there is demand for more customization. It takes time to build credibility within the ecosystem. Most deals are proprietary, so Advent needs to establish the trust of families, founders, and management to be selected as a partner of choice. Advent has a powerful combination of global collaboration and local knowledge, to the extent that many people in the region think we’re a local firm. It makes a significant difference to have a real understanding of the local markets. It puts Advent in a highly differentiated position to understand the businesses and to work alongside management teams and our partners in supporting companies to succeed.
How has Advent supported your professional growth?
I was actually the first Advent trainee globally. I was 22 years old and straight from my undergraduate degree. Up to that time, the industry had a view that only senior, post-MBA professionals should work in PE, as we typically have to deal with company owners and high-powered individuals. The Brazil office was just two partners and myself at the time I joined 21 years ago. I’ve spent my whole career here, as an analyst, associate, senior associate, vice president, and director before becoming a partner around 10 years ago. It makes me happy and proud to see how the trainee program has blossomed since then, helping Advent and our portfolio companies to attract the best talent in the market.
“Advent has a powerful combination of global collaboration and local knowledge, to the extent that many people in the region think we’re a local firm.”
Mario Malta
Managing Director, Advent
What advice would you offer someone joining Advent?
I would say that the philosophy we want our people to have is to think like an owner. It doesn’t matter what level of the organization they are, or whether their work is going to be reviewed by someone else. We want people to take ownership, and do the best they can. Together with that, they should never lose the entrepreneurial spirit that is fundamental to our industry. Even as we become larger and larger in terms of people, we should take care not to lose that creative mindset.
How has the private equity landscape changed over your career?
When I joined 21 years ago, few people in Brazil knew what private equity was. We had small teams executing the deals and driving the value-creation initiatives at the same time, and no Operating Partners. Deep sector knowledge wasn’t a differentiator for us then, but it certainly is now – along with value creation plans, driven not only by the deal teams but by the Portfolio Support Group, and our talented Operating Partners.
What would a new colleague be surprised to learn about you?
I love the sea. It’s where I go for peace and disconnection. Since I was eight years old, I’ve had a passion for spearfishing. It’s something that my family has done for generations, with a tremendous respect for nature, and I always eat everything I catch, especially fresh sashimi!
